Happy New Year to you and I hope you had a wonderful festive break creating memories to cherish with friends and family.

In the new year we tend to take stock of our weight (too many mince pies) and our health (too much mulled wine) and also our homes (too much time sitting on the sofa staring at the same old walls). The new year brings with it a desire to refresh and invigorate our rooms with something exciting and inviting to get us over the post Christmas blues.

If you're looking to undertake a quick makeover of a room in your home then here are my top tips on how to modernise your home in a week to create your dream room that will inspire you for the coming year...

DAY 1: Decide how you want the room to look when finished.

So many people forget this important step when decorating a room. It helps you understand how you want the room to feel, sets the style for the room and can also help you choose a colour scheme (which is where many people struggle). Do you want your room to be cool and refreshing, tidy and spacious, safe and secure, warm and welcoming, or even cosy and nurturing. Write down the words so that you can refer back to them when shopping for items.

(Glamorous and Sumptuous)

DAY 2: Decide what you want to keep in the room.

When decorating, most people jump at the chance to change things in their room (the carpet, the sofa, the paint colour or the lighting) but then forget to carefully consider all of the items that need to be kept in the room. Whatever you decide to keep has to be co-ordinated into your new design (style and colour) scheme for the room. Maybe you have a traditional comfy sofa or an art deco fireplace, a vintage chandelier or granny's old rocking chair. Consider each item you're keeping and if it doesn't fit into your desired new style or colour scheme then it needs to be moved to another room or given a new home. Of course, anything you're not keeping needs to be removed from the room and given a new home.

(New accessories, Existing sofa)

DAY3: Make a list

Once you know how you'd like your room to look and understand all of the items that you're keeping in the room, it's time to make a list. A shopping list is a must for the makeover of any room. Not only will your list itemise all of the things that you need to buy but it would also have their estimated cost, which will help you pull together your budget for the room.

DAY4: Go shopping with your list

The list will save you time when shopping (either on the internet or on the high street) because you're focused on the written down items so there's less of a distraction to go astray. If you go shopping and the item isn't available then you have a budget for that item so you're more prepared to find an alternative without overspending. If you go shopping in January and the item is reduced (yeah we love the sales) then you can add the amount you saved on to one of the other items you're buying so that you can buy something a little more expensive or luxurious.

DAY5: Style your room with the new products

Once you have the new items you can take the time to style your room. Firstly, think about how you want the furniture to be positioned. It invigorates a room instantly when furniture is repositioned but I know this is not always possible due to the shape or size of the room. Once you've decided where the furniture will go then you can add in the lighting and then the remainder of the accessories. It's just like putting up your Christmas tree... start with the tree and then the lights and finish off with the accessories and baubles.

DAY6: Review your room

Once your room is styled you might decide that there are a few gaps in the design, it doesn't look finished, or an item you bought isn't quite right. Now is the time to exchange those items or buy additional pieces to make your room look #gorgeous.

DAY7: Sit and enjoy your room

Always take the time to admire your efforts because you've worked hard to make everything come together.

#memoriestochairish

This makeover in a week is perfectly achievable and it's most useful if you want to refresh the guest bedroom, update your lounge, modernise a child's bedroom or just clear out the junk room.

If you know someone who's creative, enjoys watching the property programmes on the telly or just loves to shop and create a beautiful home then please feel free to forward this onto them for inspiration.